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| Boat trips are common in Nigeria for transport and trade |
More than 100 people have died after a boat carrying people returning from a wedding ceremony capsized in a river in north-central Nigeria.
"The boat was transporting people from a wedding ceremony in Niger to Kwara state when it sank," local police and the Kwara governor's office said on Tuesday, according to French news agency AFP.
Police spokesman Okasanmi Aje told AFP by phone that 103 people died and more than 100 were rescued in the boat accident.
Rescue work is ongoing and fears of further casualties have been expressed.
A statement released by the Kwara State Governor's Office said the victims were returning from a marriage ceremony in Patagi District of Kwara.
The governor spoke about the boat accident and expressed his condolences to the families of all the victims.
The governor has been monitoring the rescue operations since Monday evening and is looking for possible survivors.
Last month, 15 children drowned while collecting firewood in northwestern Sokoto State.
About a year ago, 29 children from a nearby village drowned in the same river.
Last December, at least 76 people died when their boat capsized in the river during massive flooding in the southeastern state of Anambra during the rainy season.
Boats are widely used for transport and trade in Nigeria.
